Sunday, August 31, 2014

In traditional historic Italian pizzerias many say there are only two types of pizza: Marguerita, with cheese and basil; and Marinara, without cheese adding basil and oregano.

Before you is a Marinara Pizza. The Vegetable is the Tomato. The Alchemy is in the Development of outstanding flavor from one great ingredient handled well. The tomatoes are in two styles: cooked in a simple sauce, spread on thin crust, then covered with slices of fresh ripe tomato. A final sprinkle with basil and oregano and baking starts til crisp.

Outstanding taste! Easy to make and enjoy at home.
The Vegetable Alchemist.

Saturday, August 30, 2014

A simple combination of shaved radish and grated fresh Parmesan does well to balance fresh cut kale tossed with a touch of salt, fresh ground pepper with a bit of lemon and olive oil. The croutons actually add texture and round out the dish. A keeper of a recipe for sure! The Vegetable Alchemist.

Friday, August 29, 2014

To cook or prepare food is a routine that a lot of us looked forward to doing each day. It's a way of creating something cool and fun, flavorful and tasty that gives you lusty memories all day. On occasion depending on how good you do it, it is almost as memorable as sex! So not cooking you lose you a lot of memorable fun time that you could be having when you are not having or in the mood for sex. Just a thought.

These carrots are slightly past raw, slightly past no fat, but completely high in flavors that will get you smilin' and on to doing it again and again....doing it over and over again will get you good at this charring technique.

Start with peeling and cutting a bunch of your favorite carrots in half. Then cut the halves in half and then into four to five inch pieces. Grate a teaspoon of lemon peel and set aside. Take out a cast iron pan and set up some kind of quick steamer. Bring the steamer to boil. Heat the cast iron pan to medium heat. Have a bowl stand by with a few drops of oil. Have some sea salt at hand and fresh pepper on hand if you have a frig stocked like mine, a little homemade or great store bought soft ricotta is a plus for a side garnish dipper.

Steam the carrots. Toss them into the boil with the oil then quickly spread them to char in the cast iron skillet. Turn the heat up slightly and in two to three minutes char the pieces, removing them as they char on one side to the bowl. When all are done, toss in the lemon peel, a few pinches of seasoning and plate. Offer the ricotta on the side and a sprinkle or two of chopped cashews or hazelnuts doesn't hurt either!

The first time you do these don't make the mistake that I did and only do three of four carrots. Because they are so tasty, you will find yourself making a meal of them! Good to do for a group with a glass of Prosecco around as you show and cook! Charred carrots rock fun memories! The Vegetable Alchemist.

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Two days ago we talked adding a touch of lemon juice and sea salt to chopped, stemmed kale and working it with your hands to soften and sweeten the texture and flavor. In this dish I simply compounded that bowl of kale with drained and rinse chickpeas, and equal parts of cooked quinoa with some spices like smoked paprika, basil and pinch of cinnamon. The addition of drizzles of olive oil smoothed out the flavor. Good thing about this dish is that you will have NO leftovers! The Vegetable Alchemist.

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

When it comes down to it, The Quest of the last ten days to drop 15 lbs of unneeded weight based on enjoyable nutrient dense plant centric recipes has opened a lot of new doors for me. And now I am thinking of how to make this into an enterprise of entrepreneurial merit.

Looking at what makes food cravably delicious I find it starts with this pre-vision of eating something with a concept in mind when you know you want to eat. For me, that begins with one bubble of items that are inseparable: the look, the taste, the nutritionally dense and monetary value. This one bubble makes the rest of the work pale. It is the ease of executing that one bubble of items that can send me in motion to make the dish, find and buy the dish or have a friend do one of the same.

fold or wrap it up!

Here: a lightly braised red chili cauliflower with onion rolled into a
gluten free soft bread wrap. This was a 25 minute bit of work, that makes my life rock and has a smart body sense to it of fashionable food, pleasure and sensuous taste. The Vegetable Alchemist.

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Depending on the variety, some kale are stronger than others in flavor and leaf. One easy way to soften the taste of a stronger type is to remove the strong stems and mix the leafy green with a touch of lemon juice and pinch of sea salt. Toss and work the leaves in your hands for 4 or 5 minutes or until leaves wilt and the volume decreases almost by half. This techni ue turns bitter flavors to sweet! Use the resulting greens as an addition to anything from salads, sandwich additions and slaw.

In this case a cabbage kale slaw with bacon and thyme. The Vegetable Alchemist.

Saturday, August 23, 2014

Changing Habits can be challenging, in fact difficult. A week ago I put out 'The Quest', to make changes to my work out schedule, and form a new consistent method to how and what I eat. The goal is to focus on a height to weight ratio of 5'10" and 170 lbs, 27 lbs less than a week ago. To be clear, I was not looking for a diet but to test my idea of a new Cell Cuisine shaped out of Vegetable Alchemy that would offer more flexibility, much more energy, less stress on the body skeletal and organ structure and because of all of it, a more sustainable and longer approach to living, as each of our bodies is our own eco-system.

As of yesterday, 5 days into the project, on a comfortable tasty plant based menu which I posted daily my weight has gone from 198.9 lbs to 191.1. My hope is to drop to 189 by Monday, a decent start and with no regrets.

curry rubbed pork chop adds to the salad

What I gleaned in the first week I want to share. When I stepped on the scale yesterday, my mind kept pleading, 'please be more loss that 197 lbs.!' I literally could not see that much discernible difference in losing the first 8 lbs! Second, I realize how much stress a poor body to mass index has on the organs and skeletal structure as running, swimming, biking or any other details, even simple everyday walking carry weight past my needs.

But more importantly what I have found is that I have learned a fantastic amount of information about my body and how what I eat effects my moods, my flexibility, my daily work and in effect my relationships. I am in the midst of a complete positive physical transformation. In short, I simple feel noticeably healthier. So on to phase two. My goal is not gaunt, straggly skin and clothes that do not fit, but a decent looking body that likes to enjoy life to the fullest and learn a lot more about living on the way. The Vegetable Alchemist.

Friday, August 22, 2014

Simple, tasty, nutritious, easy, and cheap! Need I say more.......very lightly blanched broccoli, or better yet, just cut uncooked broccoli smaller so it is easier to digest. Toss with tomatoes, diced mozzarella, fresh chopped basil and drizzles of lemon and olive oil. Season if you need it. In the case of unripened tomatoes or if you want to make this an all season dish, lightly oven roast tomatoes to increase their flavor.

Thursday, August 21, 2014

I know, I hear it all the time.."NOT another kale salad ! It's gross.Tastes terrible. Disgusting. No Way!" ....recent comments from a good foodie.

BUT there is great news, at least I think its great news. Massage! Massage the kale to sweeten and soften the texture. This one had a few drops of lemon juice with a pinch of sea salt worked into the greens until it softened, then I added a bit of garlic toasted crumb and herbs with a touch of EVOO.

Massage the kale and then toss with the rest of your ingredients. The Vegetable Alchemist.

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

From a small quart of leftover sustainable burger mix from the night before emerges meatballs and a mushroom, kale, and beef pasta simmered lightly with a touches of chopped kale, garlic, tomato and onion. The kicker that brought it all together was using a little smoked cinnamon and dried pimento. Wish you were there! Two ounces of pasta without the usually added saved pasta cooking water to the sauce. And
only 15 minutes from scooping, chopping and cooking to the finished bowl. The Vegetable Alchemist.

Monday, August 18, 2014

This title is a favorite quote from John Maynard Keynes, considered arguably one of the greatest economists of the 20th century. It's a perfect statement for the application of knowledge on modern nutrition to the how's and what's we eat . New science offers an amazing fresh opportunity to a healthier longer life.

And so, with that in mind, I press on past The Making of an Image as done by the 1968 company Esprit, and further into a 'Remaking of an Image' as done by The Vegetable Alchemist. Change and adapt more healthful information on nutritionally dense ingredients for your daily menu choices and enjoy the results.

A jolly good conclusion if I do say so myself !
The Vegetable Alchemist.

Saturday, August 16, 2014

' Floudering ', not be be confused as the noun for a fish called flounder or an action named, Dufnering is one of those barely loved actions that seems to take forever, that has to take place in order to produce insights for a direction in a goal one perceives as a good future. From the list below, I chose the first definition as I have been floundering until recently to establish a cuisine based on true body nutrition, updating age old recipes and creating new ones for a true Cell Cuisine for nutrient dense food cells to body cells. Sounds a little intense but actually cuisine is just what I do.

So without 'floundering' any further from the last years of trying to figure it out, I have hit at least a base level for testing my Cell Cuisine this month. In the process the last years I have reviewed countless articles, books, and hundreds of work shops on food and nutrition. To test my insights and the effects of same, I am establishing a height to weight ration of 5'10.5" and 170 lbs for my body type and embarking on a simple task to 'install an update' to my style of eating nutritionally rich foods and recipes to reduce my weight by 15 lbs by the end of August.

After cooking many cuisines in countries world wide 'INSTALLLING' a body based cuisine update to drive the significance of eating nutritionally instead of just from various cuisine recipes offers me a future of food and active exercise to keep me fit, lean and mellow. And, yes, you gotta have taste. This salad did it for me last night.....

Chopped and shredded cabbage, kale, spinach, celery leaves and green onion tossed with a bit of white balsamic vinegar, a touch of toasted sesame mix, pepper and smoked paprika! Ukika! Now to get organized and document.. The Vegetable Alchemist

Friday, August 15, 2014

In a recent cocktail challenge in Paris competing bartenders turned to salt as a finishing ingredient to strengthen and enhance flavors, as.... 'Salt reinforces the natural sweetness in other ingredients, which can help to balance any bitterness or added bitter.'

Such is the effect in this fantastic two kale Caesar styled salad where the anchovy is worked into toasted bread crumbs with a touch of salt, then tossed into a light lemon vinaigrette. Taste and appearance add so much to how we value our food. And this dish is utterly delicious.

Nutritionally rich salads add another brick to the wall of evidence that a little daily exercise, lowering stress in your work day and having meals from smart plant based recipes combine to keep you lean, fit and mellow, a formula that continues to demonstrate a long, healthy life.

Thursday, August 14, 2014

In a current issue of The Art of Eating, author Edward Behr presents a six and a half page summary to a question he pose at the onset of the article: ' where will modern innovative cooking go from here..?'

He handles the answers in an interesting fashion peppering with details from various restaurant scenarios looking past bread, the handling of bold flavors, use of finer quality ingredients, de-emphasis on sauces, up to the moment competitive awareness of modern chefs ideas as well as a celebration of the of producing food. All good topics and well addressed.

But I pose another question. How MODERN is out food? And I answer it with 'Not Very Modern" considering all the data in science available on cell nutrition, physiology, micro-nutrients and more. We continue with age eating that continues to age us too early and cause disease.

This salad is a nutrient game changer with the combination of kale and bitter greens, touch of Parmesan, almonds, dates and white balsamic vinaigrette. Nutritiously dense and packed with flavor.

A game changer is coming. Enter the world of a new cell cuisine. The Vegetable Alchemist.

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Yesterday I mentioned my quest to change my lifestyle from a full working chef/ restaurateur to another that allows me a different lifestyle. I wrote about wanting to return to playing amateur sports especially golf and what I need to do to make that happen. In changing my daily routine I have had to adjust to working out more, sleep, what I eat, how I focus and on new goals. I have had to deal with my weight, my flexibility, my endurance, and in general, the bleak condition of my body at present and be patient and smart as to how I cross train, mentally as well as physically to get me into shape and on to a long fun life.

fun, but not my thought for nutritionally rich food!

I have been comparing the heights and weight of individuals suggested by professionals supporting healthier nutritional dense eating with those of successful athletes in the low or no contact sports I want pursue or use in cross training. Some of these are: swimming, running, biking, hiking, riding horses, tennis and, kayaking, and of course, golf.

It is interesting to see the similarities in height to weight suggested by those experienced in nutritionally rich eating and those who are actual athletes in size. In the former category height to weight is suggested as follows: 5'0': 105 lbs; 5'10": 155 lbs; 6'2": 175 lbs or 5 lbs per inch over 5 feet.

Add strength building to the latter and you increase the body to mass index and so a little more weight becomes evident. When I looked at the reality of weight to height for top professional male golfer contenders I found: 5'9": 150 lbs; 5'9" 160 lbs; 5'11": 170 lbs; 5'11": 175 lbs; 6'2": 180 lbs; 6'3": 180 lbs; 6'4": 190 lbs. All of these can drive the ball past 300 yards demonstrating other training factors for this.

When I adjust down for not adding professional muscle and strength building workouts for a nutrient dense comparison on height and weight, numbers, with slight exception to body types, are remarkably consistent to those on nutrient dense longevity eating. I see my goals for an amateur and nutrient dense eating weight clearly determined and a direction in mind. Consider you own activity to food and weight goals. To me a happy long healthy life are worth it!
The Vegetable Alchemist.

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Vegetable Alchemy: Sustainable Food for an Active Life. Why sustainable? First because, it has to sustain the world. Second, because it has to sustain me. The world needs to grow, raise and consume Sustainable Goods to keep the planet in better order. Why active? Because without being active your body will put on weight, decay and not maintain good quality. The body needs exercise. Food and activity sustain life.

At one time my dream was to become a professional golfer and all that came with it. My travels, worked out, and thoughts were all about golf. I planned my life and living and dating around that dream. I had a certain height, weight, a regimen to cross train and practice, with a soft flexible vision of how my life would unfold from income to girlfriend to family. For various reasons I could not accomplish that dream and had to turn to the reality goal of making a living. I did not find a new dream in sports and ended up, because of my background to turning to an industry with much different habits with the goal of being a successful Chef.

workouts add a touch of ginger to carrot juice

I was not as familiar with that goal as a dream. I thrust it upon myself as the alternative. I could use my learned talents coming from a restaurant family and apply them to what I found was a market opportunity. There were few American Chefs at the time and I felt it was open territory to build a whole new genre of farm to table Chefs and suppliers with principle. My goal was to build an industry. And the success that came depended on developing a larger vision for The American Cooking Movement nationally and internationally, which we did. But personally as I Chef I lacked personal goals, (which included but was not limited to...) no work out, no set work day, no focused income, no consistent living style, and no stable relationship. I left all basically to the whim of the food and beverage gods and what was needed to succeed. In one small sense I did. But going forward, I am now driven by new thoughts of the future with the knowledge that a welcomed discipline will accompany my new interest for this success.

I am setting out to make my living based on the discipline of being an athlete while adding the creative work from food and beverage used in becoming a Chef. As I test various elements that work to combine an active life as an amateur sportsman with food that sustains the activity, I add a routine and objectivity which are key, including the nutritionally rich food that will keep this slowly transforming body in shape.

In the beginning, my new routine started with a daily floor mat workout. While I suppose it showed effort, it became clear early on, I was naive. To make a Chef lifestyle change and break into being even simplest of amateur athletes, way more discipline was involved, and that same kind of discipline that goes inot conditioning will be key to this transformational success. First I have to burn more weight left from another lifestyle. I added cross training in swimming, running, hitting golf balls, biking, riding a horse and other various sports. But soon after that it was evident that lifestyle and diet play a bigger role. My food and beverage are key. Why work out, then put on weight as I crossed back into the lifestyle and recipes of me as a former renegade Chef ? For a complete 'make into' I have to push harder and into a new regimen, as the Chef lifestyle laughingly usurps the sports discipline that I had as a golfer. Add a new dream and purpose and what was at first reluctant nod has become accepting a willing positive change.

Sustainable food whether as fuel, as fashion, as health, as taste has to have purpose. It should be delicious, look fantastically inviting and be efficient for the body. It should be affordable and have an ingrain sense of passion in recipe. With my new quest, I have picked up at least fifty small and large books on plant based eating as my focus is plant based for Sustainable Living. To date what I have gleaned is that plant base will offer me Sustainable Food. Now to design plant based food for a much more active body with a much longer term future than it did when it was not plant based in the sustainable mode.

So this is my quest. Good luck in your own. Hopefully you will see the valuable components in sustainable food based on plant based living. More to share tomorrow.....The Vegetable Alchemist.

Monday, August 11, 2014

This is a week to discuss Sustainably Active Us. Nutritionally dense foods coupled with a good active life offer a glowing opportunity for a happy healthier life. Add tasty, reasonably priced recipes and I am in the game both feet and all body full speed ahead.

Yesterday the conversation on food shifted to discussions on weight, BMI and sports or athletic activities people enjoy as part of a goal to train, compete or just look good and stay healthy. As the discussion continued it is clear that some sports build body mass: weight training, contact sports like football, basketball, hockey, wrestling. You just need body mass to survive and compete.

Other sports thrive on less weight: running, biking, riding a horse, swimming, tennis and soccer where speed and agility combine with lightness. Chose your activity to fit your goals. But add food that assists great cell nutrition. Emerge your own fountain of youth. In this approach, there is still no finish line.

Sunday, August 10, 2014

Cell Cuisine: My form of business to business. The Cell to Cell Connection. Food cells to your body cells. To me, cell to cell is in the context of you understanding you are your own eco-system. You need to know what you need for your body and then focus on ways that food, recipes, producers, suppliers, retailers and manufacturers can offer you what you need, because food needs to be cell to cell, not recipes offering old nutritional data based on calories that do not support modern information on cell to cell living.

Most people have no idea of what they and their bodies need to stay healthy. The routine is not to consider it until they are overweight or have health problems. What should be proactive becomes reactive and you lose control of your own eco-system. It is not a matter of dieting. It is a matter of staying connected with your body's needs and updating that connection with information from credible sources that have you and your health in mind from cell to cell thinking.

Historically we don't grow up taking much responsibility for our bodies other than what food manufacturers and the government have offered. But there is a new self-sustaining era afloat now and the more you really understand in a clear fun way, the better you are. Easily accessed updated information is great power. Stay connected to The Vegetable Alchemist as the months go on with ways to learn what you need. You are your own Eco System and you need to have information that supports you.
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Saturday, August 9, 2014

Music and great relationships have two things in common, 'They keep you sane but drive you CRAZY !'
I heard the phrase from Mickey 'the Geek', a cool, tatted, music dude working at The Tiny Lounge on Lincoln Ave in Chi-town. Right away I thought it was a super parallel to what we choose to eat. We love the steaks, chops, burgers, pizza, pastas from the SAD (Standard American Diet) but they cause a lot of challenges on your body. I love my early am coffee ritual: filtered water, grind beans, sustainable filter, brew, aroma and enjoy in multiples, but it cramps muscles, makes me gritter, and raises my heart rate.

Recently after being away from the game for over 20 years I went back to try on golf, hitting 30 minutes of range balls each day, cross training with an early run, and later with a swim and steam. EOW....Exit 5 lbs. Of course it might have been 6 or 7 lbs had I not had the habit still of hydr0lizing with gemstone flavors at places like THE TINY LOUNGE. But one step at a time.

Today's dish is a fantastic Hot n' Sour Soup fashion after thinking about how great I feel cooking and eating things that are not part of the SAD and leave me with fantastic energy. This luscious blend of veggies with shittake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, carrots and green onion get simmered with a half spoon of chili garlic paste. Cover withchicken or veggie stock and in almost when done drop in a protein, in this case tofu, with a half a cup or so of fresh shredded cabbage stirred in at the end for nutritional density. OMG! No steak ever did if for me like this! Hot in a sense of as spicy mild as you want, and sour in the addition of apple cider vinegar to finish. A full bowlful later I was after more and more and more. I feel light, nourished and refreshed, ready to take on the driving range and a lot more lap time in the pool. Step by Step I am on to my new Cell Cuisine tm and a lot more years of healthful, fun livin ! . The Vegetable Alchemist.

Friday, August 8, 2014

Shishito Peppers.....one of the finest little tasty morsels in life. WIKI says, 'the name refers to the fact that the tip of the chili pepper (唐辛子tōgarashi?) looks like the head of a lion (獅子shishi?), and in Japanese it is often abbreviated as shishitō.'
A little associative knowledge is always great but even greater is eating them. Broil plain or pan fry in a touch of hot oil til blistered. Finish with a pinch of seasoning. Or if you feel the "Chef" within you, make yourself a black bean aioli like this spot did and drizzle for that extra touch.

Great for the blood. Terrific snack to release a little endorphin. Try em, the first chance you get!

Thursday, August 7, 2014

Summer tomato salads make it to the top of the list for me. Refreshing, colorful, fast, versatile as a one dish, side dish or garnish on meat, fish, poultry, meats and pork.

There are a couple of items to remember in making warm or cold BABY tomato salads. When warm at least you can get away with a quick saute or simple blanching to soften skins. Cold, I suggest cutting them as you don't have to chase the little shapes around the plate or bowl, and they are a whole lot easier to fork with or without greens. You can see I test this in the photo and believe me, a spoon is the only solution to leaving baby tomatoes whole. And if marinated, they do not soften as well whole.

make time to cut in half when serving cold

I added chopped, flaked NORI to make a quik farmer's tomato and greens snack dressed with a touch of lemon juice and few drops of sunflower oil.

Tomatoes get a nutritional density score of 190 and the nori addition ups the anti with its own 209. I love the flavor and sea vegetable toastiness. Puts me right back in the water diving! The Vegetable Alchemist

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

This Belgian Styled Japanese 'session' beer named Wednesday's CAT is especially made for HUMP DAY and, as noted on the label, 'can help you get through the rest of the week.' So seeing this outstanding graphic yesterday at a local store, it reminded me it's time to take stock this middle Wednesday and make sure we know our goals and direction.

The Vegetable Alchemist is about great tasting, nutritionally dense food that offers a lot of variety in simple preparations that keep you fit with energy focused on the active in mind. This means staying away from dead calorie recipes and highlighting the complete opposite with lots of nutrient rich salads, legumes, herb, spices and foodstuffs that showcase the phyto-nutrients, minerals, vitamins and enzymes that bring good things to life and certainly will get you past HUMP DAY!! Happy Wednesday. The Vegetable Alchemist

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

On any given day, rain or shine I would rather play a round of golf than watch a round on TV. Playing reminds you of your body status as the swing moves in balance or not. In playing you invest not as much in golf as you do in being in shape. And wearing a worn golf glove, just like hitting with an out of shape body works against your hands and form in hitting the ball. Palms and fingers get tense from the torn fabric and swing after swing produces rubbing that slowly tears at layers of skin. It is not sensible to patch a worn golf glove. But it is sensible to fix your body after years of not.

well seasoned for simple conditioning

I hit over 500 golf balls yesterday, slow 7 irons, routine 5 irons, driver, then back to easy pitch and runs with that torn golf glove just to remember how good it felt to put on a new one. After short steam and swim I could have pounded cocktails at a local hangout to hydrate. Instead I took a different path and thought how to get my swing back into a great shape after leaving the game for over 20 years. It's a combination of flexibility, coordination, focus and muscle. There is no bad time to put your worn body back into shape. The good thing is, unlike a golf glove you can! And my bet is that it will happen a lot faster than finding my authentic swing again, but who cares, getting fit is half the fun. The rest is feeling it!

Attached is a light spinach, arugula, bean sprout and herb vinaigrette salad tossed with a hefty sprinkle of tumeric and four kinds of peppercorns. Great for the skin, simple, light, tasty, and effective for working back into shape.

Monday, August 4, 2014

No one ever really wants to talk about things they do not want to talk about! That ain't rocket science. But why is it not cool to know what you need for your body. I solemnly think it is. Take a few heart needed vitamins like K and C for instance....and, for sure you could say, "No, you take 'em!" But then I do !....in a lot of fresh ways, this one, Broccoli! My "Affairs from the Heart' should be the same as yours. Have a good one. The Vegetable Alchemist. http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=9

Friday, August 1, 2014

One of the best ways to make a super great raw lunch or dinner salad is to shave the fibrous ingredients and toss them with your favorite greens and other veggies. Mechanical fiber tenderizer, that's about as simple as it gets.

And so it was at the new River Roast, done by Tony Mantuano and John Hogan in the Fulton Building owned by the Levy Group. Fennel, radish, mushrooms, artichokes, tomatoes, arugula and more.....Enjoy it! Enjoy the place!